Mechanism for feeding filled cans to closing machines



y H. A. PINK MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FILLED CANS TO CLOSING MACHINES Filed Sept. 17. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l tpllflllll:

y H. A. FlNK MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FILLED CANS TO CLOSING MACHINES Filed Sept. 17. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1927.

UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. FINK, OF OAK .PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL CAN COM- PANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MECHANISM FOR FEEDING FILLED CANS TO CLOSING MACHINES.

Application iled September 17, 1925. Serial No. 56,922.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a mechanism for feeding filled cans to a closing machine, and more particularly to a timing mechanism whereby the filled cans may be received at random and fed one after another in succession to the closing machine, so as to properly position the same for the operation-of the closing head thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide a closing machine for closing filled cans, wherein the cans are fed to the closing station at regular timed intervals. with means for receiving the cans at random, for arranging and delivering the cans one at a time to the mechanism which feeds the cans to the c`osing machine, and for separating the cans as they are delivered to the feeding mechanism so as to insure that the feeding mechanism may engage between successive cans without tilting or in any Way causing the filled cans to spill the contents thereof.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation, showing a portion of a closing machine, with my improved timing device for delivering the cans to the feed drum of the closing machine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the feed drum, the feeding-in disk, the timing screw, and the guides associated therewith, and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

The invention is directed broadly to a timing mechanism used in conjunction withthe feeding devices which deliver filed cans to a closing mechanism, which timing mechanism receives the cans at random, arranges the cans in line. and separates the cans as they are delivered to the feeding mechanism of the closing machine. so as to .insure that the cans will be received by the feeding means without said feeding means in any way tilting or jostling the filled cans. so as to cause the spilling of the contents thereof.

In the present embodiment of the invention. this timingmeans is associated with a feeding drum having a spiral thread wound thereon, which is the active feeding element for moving filled cans along the support therefor, and to the closing station of the closing machine. The pitch of the thread on the feeding drum can be readily made so as to speed up the cans and feed them at proper intervals lso that they may be received by the closing station and ample time given for thenclosing of one filled can before another is delivered to the station. This feeding drum is of the type shown in the patent granted to L. C. Krummel and J. C. Taliaferro, August 17, 1909, No. 931,434. Associated with this feed drum is means for receiving the filled cans promiscuously or at random, which is preferably in the form of a horizontal rotating disk. Guides are associated with this disk so as to cause the cans to line up and be delivered from the disk on to the drum in a line. Associated with this disk is a timing screw for the purpose of timing the cans, and for the further purpose of separating the cans as they are delivered to the feed drum, and this timing screw is so timed in its operations that the cans are delivered thereby to the drum at such a time that the end of the thread on the drum will pass behind the can and force the can along the support therefor into the closing machine.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, I have shown a portion of a closing machine which consists of a suitable base 1 with an v`uprightMpart 2 which carries the closing head. ounted on the frame of the machine is a support 3 for the can to be closed. The machine is provided with a feed drum 4 having a spiral thread 5 wound thereon, and this feed drum delivers the cans one after another on to the support 3, where, in the present type of machine it dwells suiiiciently long so that the cover may be placed on the filled can and attached thereto by a double seam. This support 3 may be raised carrying the filled can up into the seaming head, or the seaming head may be lowered on to the filled can. The essential feature is that there is a seaming station where a certain intervalr of time is required for the closing of the can. The thread 5 on the feed drum as shown in Fig. 2, has the pitch thereof increased so that the cans are speeded up after they are received at the receiving end of the drum and placed on the support 3 comparatively quickly. The cans, therefore, may be fed to the drum very close together, and the drum will insure that they are delivered to the closing station at proper timed intervals for the operation of the closing mechanism. The drum 4 is mounted yon a suitable shaft 6 which in turn is mounted in suitable bearings carried by the frame of the machine, and by the standard 7. This shaft 6 is opera-ted by means of a cross shaft 8 through beveled gears 9. The shaft 8 is, of course, operated by the mechanism 1n the closing machine.

Associated with this feed drum is a dlsk 10 which is mounted on the frame 11 carried in part by the standard 7 and 1n part by the frame of the closing machine. Attached to the disk 10 is a vertical shaft 12. This vertical shaft has a worm gear 13 thereon, and the worm gear 13 meshes with a worm gear 14 on the shaft 15. The shaft 15 is provided with a sprocket wheel 16. The shaft 6 extends through the bracket 11 and is provided with a sprocket wheel 17. Also carried by the bracket 11 is a shaft 18 on which the timing screw 19 is mounted. This shaft 18 is provided with a sprocket wheel 20. 0n this bracket is` an idler sprocket wheel 21. A sprocket chain 22 runs over the sprocket wheel 1.7 and also the sprocket wheels 16, 2O and 21. Thus it is that the rotation of the shaft 6 imparts a rotation to the disk 10 and also to the timing screw 19.

Along the drum 4 is a support 23. Associated with this support is a guide rail 24. At the other side of the drum is a guide rail 25. As shown in Fig. 2, a filled can is indicated at C. This filled can is about to Abe taken up by the thread on the drum, and

will rest in part on the support 23 and in part on the drum 4. The drum rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. The receiving end of the thread of the drum is indicated at 26. It is just about to pass in rear of the can C and make contact therewith and force the can along the support 23 into the closing machine, and on to the support 3 thereof. The cans are fed at random on to the rotating disk 10, and this rotating disk 10 becomes the delivering means for delivering the cans to the feed drum of the closing machine. Associated with this disk 10 and overlying the same, is a guide rail 27. This uide rail 27 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 is a ove the disk 10, and as the disk 10 rotates, the cans carried thereon will be brought into contact with the guide rail 27, and will slide along the guide rail which is stationary. Associated with this guide rail 27 is a stationary guide rail 28 which forms a comparatively narrow passage so that only one can at a time may be carried by the disk along the guide rail 27. Likewise associated with the stationary guide rail 28 is a yielding guide rail 29 which forms a continuation of the narrow passage which dithe timing screw 19. This timing screw, as

stated above, is fixed to the shaft 10 and rotates therewith. The timing screw rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The guide rail 27 extends over the disk 10, but underneath this timing screw or underneath one side of' the timing screw. The purpose of this timing screw is to space the cans and also to retard the forward movement of the cans through the action of the rotating disk 10 thereon, so that the cans will be delivered'to the feed drum at proper timed intervals whereby the end 26 of the thread 5 on the drum will pass in rear of the can and not strike the same so as to tilt it or jostle and spill the contents thereof.y The rotating disk l() has a peripheral speed in the region of the guide rail 27 which is slightly greater than that of the timing screw, so that a can is caused to contact with the rear face of this timing screw, and the timing screw retards the forward movement of the cans. The distance between the turns ofv the thread of the timing screw is so proportioned relative to the diameter of the cans being fed to the closing machine, that only one can can be placed between adjacent turns of the screw.

f the can should be presented to the timing screw so as to ride up on.. to the extreme outer edge of the screw, then the can will be crowded against the yielding guide rail or finger 29, and this will yield so as to prevent the jamming of the cans. The yielding guide rail has its receiving end curved, and may either crowd the cans back in rear of the thread making engagement therewith, or possibly crowd it forward in front of the thread, provided there is no other can in this space between the threads. Through this yielding finger and the stationary guide rails, the cans are lined up and fed one at a time to the feeding drum. The cans rest on the disk and are moved by the disk which engages the bottom of the can. The timing screw acts upon the can at a point between the lower end of the can and the top end of the can, that is, upon the side walls of the can. This timing screw, as has been noted, retards the forward movement ofthe cans. In the drawings, I have shown two cans C1 and C2. When the can leaves the position indicated at C2, it will be carried over against the guide rail 24, which extends over the disk 10, and the guide rail will direct its movementon the support Q3 associated with the drum et. As soon as the delivery end of the timing screw is reached, the can will be slightly ret-arded,'so as to fall back against the other face of the thread of the timing screw, and the timing screw will now become the active element for forcing the can forward on to the support 23. The delivery end of the timing screw is thickened, and the forward face of this screw is so shaped and so positioned relative to the movement of the thread 5 with the drum 4, that the can C will be separated from the can C1 a sufficient extent, so that the end 26 may ass between the two cans at the positions and C1. This is for the purpose of insuring that the thread will get ehind the can without strlking the can which it is to take up and move forward, either through passing underneath the can. or striking the bottom edge of the can. This thread. it will be understood, projects in the center of the drum above the support 23 so as to engage the bottom edge of the can and force it along the support 23. The relation of the thread on the drum to the support is the same as that shown in the Krummel and Taliaferro patent above referred to.

From the above it will be noted that this timing screw while it operates to retard and space the cans as they are moved along by the disk, it also operates to take up the active feed of the cans and deliver said cans at proper timed intervals to the feed drum so that the end of the thread on the drum may get behind the can and move it forward. This is accomplished by the rear face of the screw retarding the forward movement of the cans through the main rotating disk, and through the vadvance forward or delivering end of the screw becoming` active to transfer the filled can from the disk on to the support associated with the drum, so that the thread of the drum can take up the can and move it into the closing machine.

W'hile I have described my improved timing screw as used in conjunction with the rotating disk, with suitable guide rails, one of which is yielding, I do not lay claim to these features as any part of my invention per se. It will be understood that other means may be provided for receiving thc cans and delivering the same to the feeding mechanism of the closing machine, provided this means is so constructed as to carry the cans against the rear face of the timing screw and so as to turn over the active forward movement of the can to the action of the timing screw at the delivery end thereof, so that the timing screw may separate the cans delivered to the feeding mechanism of the closing machine. andinsure that the device or devices which carry the can forward into the closing machine may get behind the can for advancing it without striking the can to tilt or jostle the same and thus causev spilling.

IVhile I have shown my improved timing screw as associated with the feed drum, it will be understood that it may be used in conjunction with other types of feeding mechanisms which are so constructed as to feed the iilled cans -at regular` spaced time intervals to a closing machine. Then again, it will be understood that while I have shown my improved timing screw associated with a closing` machine having a single closinr station, I may also use this feed drum an tim`ng screw in conjunction with closing machines having multiple closing stations, moving continuously` and wherein the feeding drum either feeds to the closing mechanism directly or through a rotatin turret.

I make no claim to the broad com ination of a rotating disk, a feed drum and a timing screw which is associated with the disk and aids in the delivering of the cans to the feed drum. This comb nation is all shown, described and claimed in the application of M. M. Sedwiek, Serial No. 685,599, filed January Il, 1924, upon which timing mechanism the present invention is an .improvement. My in'iproven'ient is directed particularly to the construction and mode of operation of the timing screw which is de scribed above.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and"arrangement of the parts may be made 'without departing from the spint of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is-

1. In a closing machine, the combination of means for feeding filled cans in predetermined spaced relation to the closing devices, traveling means for receiving the filled cans at random and for delivering said cans one at a time to the feeding means, and a rotating timing screw associated with said traveling means and operating on the filled cans carried thereby for timing the cans, said timing screw having the delivery end thereof so shaped that said timing Screw operates to time the cans by retarding the forward movement thereof through the movement of the traveling means and to actively force a can forward as it is delivered to the feeding means soas to insure the proper spacing of the delivered cans from those following thereafter whereby the feeding means can get behind the delivered can l without tilting or jostling the same.

2. In a closing machine, the combination of means for feeding filled cans in predetermined spaced relation to the closing devices, a rotating disk for receiving the filled cans and for delivering the same to said ill feeding mechanism, a rotating timing screw adapted to operate upon the filled cans on the rotating disk for timin the same, said timing screw having the de ivery end thercof so shaped that said timing screw operates to time the cans by retarding the forward movement thereof through the rotation of the disk and to actively force a can forward as it is delivered to the feeding means so as to insure a proper spacing of the delivered can from those following thereafter whereby the feeding means can get behind the delivered can without tilting or jostling the same.

3. In a closing machine, the combination of means for feeding filled cans atpredetermined timed intervals to the closing dc vices including a support for the filled cans and a rotating drum having a thread thereon adapted to engage the can and more tho same along said support, a rotating disk adapted to receive the filled cans at random, guide rails associated with said disk for lining up the filled cans and feeding the same forward toward the feed drum, a timing screw associated with said disk and adapted to engage a filled can at points between the upper and lower ends thereof for retarding the forward movement of the Cans and thus determining the timed intervals for delivering the cans to the feeding drum, the advance face of the forward end of the timing screw having the pitch thereof increased so as to speed up a can as it is delivered to the feeding drum whereby said delivered can is spaced from the cans 1mmediately following, and thus room provided for the end of the thread on the drum to pass in rear of said delivered can without striking the bottom of the can.

4. In a closing machine, the combination of means for feeding filled cans at .predeterminedV timed intervals to the closing devices including a support for the filled cans, a rotating drum having a thread thereon adapted to engage the can'and move the same alongsaid support, a rotating disk at the end of said lfeed drum and having its upper face in the same plane as the upper face of the support along the feed drum, a stationaryguide located above said rotating disk, a second stationary guide associated with the first-named guide and so posit`oned as to permit the cans on the rotating disk to pass one at a time between the guides and along the first-'named stationary guide, a timing screw located above said guides and extending over said disk and to a point over the receiving end of the feed drum, said timing screw adapted to retard the movements of the filled cans by the disk so that said disk delivers said cans to the drum at propertimed intervals, the thread on said timing screw at the delivery end thereof being shaped so as to engage and force the advanced can forward away from the cans following thereafter, so as to permit the end of the thread on the drum to pass behind said advanced can Without tilting or jostling the same.

ln testimony whereof, I allix mysignature.

HENRY A. FIN K. 

